Xiaomi
TL;DR The newly announced Xiaomi 17 Pro phones have rear screens that can be used for gaming.
The company offers a case that includes gaming controls for use with the rear screen.
However, an official video clip suggests that this might be a frustrating experience with some games.
Xiaomi has just launched the Xiaomi 17 series, and the two Pro phones are both equipped with rear displays. These screens are used much like cover screens on Flip foldables, but the company has also revealed another use for them.
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Xiaomi confirmed during its launch event that you can effectively turn the Xiaomi 17 Pro phones into a Game Boy of sorts via an optional case. The case connects to the phones via Bluetooth and uses their rear screens.
This case, which costs 299 yuan (~$42), features four face buttons, a circular D-pad, and what appears to be select and start buttons. Xiaomi also posted a video, seen below, that gives users an idea of what to expect.
This seems like a neat idea in theory, as you could play some retro games just fine with these limited controls. But I do imagine that some SNES and Game Boy Advance games might be an issue owing to the apparent lack of shoulder keys.
An even bigger issue seen in the video clip is that the rear cameras obscure some of the gameplay. However, Xiaomi’s images also suggest that you can play games in a smaller window to address this issue. But that leaves you with a truly tiny display, and I can’t imagine many people will enjoy this compromise. For what it’s worth, the Xiaomi 17 Pro has a 2.66-inch rear panel, while the Pro Max has a 2.86-inch secondary screen.
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